Batteries in the Trash are DANGEROUS!
Most portable electronic devices use rechargeable batteries and millions of rechargeable batteries are sold in California each year. California no longer allows batteries to be disposed of in the trash because they contain toxic metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel.
Once one battery cell goes into thermal runaway, it produces enough heat to cause adjacent battery cells to also go into thermal runaway. This produces a fire that repeatedly flares up as each battery cell in turn ruptures and releases its contents. The most recent examples of household used batteries causing fires are vape pens, cell phones and hover boards. All electronic devices run the risk of overheating, exploding and causing fire. Placing the used batteries from these devices into the garbage can is extremely dangerous for both your family and our staff.
Throwing batteries in the garbage can may cause fires in your home, in the trucks while being transported to the landfill and at the landfill. This is very dangerous for our truck drivers and other employees. Please help keep your family and our employees safe by properly disposing of all of your used batteries.
Know The Difference
Household Batteries
Household batteries, or residential batteries, are single-use batteries commonly used for toys, flashlights, and TV remotes. They must be separated from the trash and recycling to either be collected by your waste hauler (depending on where you live), or dropped off at participating locations. They are typically labeled 9V, AA, AAA, C, D, and button or hearing aid batteries. Some of these batteries may contain lithium, as it is now a common replacement for alkaline, but they are still single-use and different than lithium-ion (rechargeable).
Lithium Ion (Li-ion) Batteries
Commonly found in rechargeable devices such as power tools, smart watches, tablet devices, cell phones, Bluetooth devices, smoke detectors, game controllers, TV remotes, laptops or computers, e-bikes, e-scooters, electric toothbrushes, hoverboards & scooters.
Lithium Ion batteries and other larger e-batteries are not accepted for curbside pick-up nor at most drop-off locations, and must be brought to our Household Hazardous Waste facility on 1104 Madison Lane or participating retailers like Home Depot or Best Buy.
*Vaping devices are not accepted curbside (in the trash, recycling or in curbside battery collection programs) or at our HHW facility. Please contact the manufacture for disposal options.
Recycling used lithium-ion batteries (Li) and the devices that contain them is crucial for addressing issues related to the clean energy transition and preventing problems caused by improper battery disposal. End-of-life lithium-ion batteries contain valuable critical minerals needed to produce new batteries. Clean energy technologies, such as renewable energy storage systems and electric vehicle batteries, will require large amounts of these minerals, and recycling used lithium-ion batteries can help meet that demand.
Lithium-ion batteries from your home or workplace, such as those in cell phones and laptops, constitute a significant portion of the batteries sent for recycling. Ensuring these smaller lithium-ion batteries are collected and recycled supports the growing battery recycling industry in the U.S.
When lithium-ion batteries are crushed or smashed in garbage or recycling trucks, they can explode and cause fires. Recycling these batteries keeps them out of household garbage and recycling systems, preventing them from endangering workers and local communities.
Learn more at EPA: Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling
Lithium-ion batteries are dangerous when damaged because they contain chemicals and materials that can react violently if they’re exposed to air or water. When the battery casing gets punctured or crushed, these reactive materials can come into contact with each other, causing a rapid increase in temperature, known as thermal runaway. This can lead to overheating, fires, or even explosions. Additionally, lithium-ion batteries may release toxic gases when damaged, posing health risks to anyone nearby. So, even though they power many of our devices, mishandling or damaging lithium-ion batteries can be really dangerous.
Thermal runaway happens when something gets too hot, and this extra heat makes it heat up even more. It’s like a snowball effect, where the heat keeps increasing until something breaks or catches fire.
What thermal runaway looks like in a group of battery cells:
Click here to watch a simple video on thermal runaway.
Residential Curbside Battery Collection
Unincorporated Monterey County, Gonzales, Greenfield & Soledad
Waste Management
Unincorporated Monterey County
WM takes household batteries for free for residents within unincorporated Monterey County. This program does not include King City. Place batteries in a quart size zipper bag and place the bag on top of your blue recycling cart when you put it out on your pick up day.
Tri Cities Disposal & Recycling
Serving Gonzales, Greenfield & Soledad
Tri-Cities takes household batteries for free. Place batteries in a quart size zipper bag and place the bag on top of your blue recycling cart when you put it out on your pick up day. For more information click on the drop down box below.
1) Place 9V, AA, AAA, C, D, and button or hearing aid batteries in a clear zip-top plastic bag
2) Place the bag ON TOP of the lid of your BLUE mixed recycling cart on your regular trash collection day
3) Our driver will pick up the bag and deliver it to a collection facility for recycling.
Do NOT include any other type/size of battery (these can be recycled at our annual cleanup events or at drop off locations below)
Do NOT place bag inside of the recycling cart (this is very dangerous and can be hazardous to our recycling staff!)
Do NOT include any other type of item in the bag
Curbside Collection currently not available in Salinas or King City
See drop off locations below
Republic Services
Serving Salinas
Waste Management
King City
Household Battery Drop Off Locations
Accepted Batteries: Non-Rechargeable 9V, AA, AAA, C, D, and *taped* button or hearing aid batteries
Not Accepted: Rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries, Large batteries (larger than D). Bring these items to our HHW facility.
Vaping devices must be sent back to the manufacture.
Gonzales
Johnson Canyon Landfill – 31400 Johnson Canyon Rd
Gonzales Branch Library – 851 5th St
ACE Hardware – 851 5th St Suite P
Greenfield
Greenfield Branch Library – 315 El Camino Real
Rancho San Miguel – 500 Walnut Avenue
City Hall – 599 El Camino Real
King City
Jolon Transfer Station – 25654 Jolon Road
Rite Aid – 540 Canal St
King City Branch Library – 404 Broadway St
King City, City Hall – 212 S. Vanderhurst Ave
Prunedale
Prunedale Branch Library – 17822 Moro Rd
Salinas
Household Hazardous Waste Facility – 1104 Madison Lane (accepts Lithium Ion batteries)
Ace Hardware – 1215 S Main St
Cesar Chavez Library – 615 Williams Road
John Steinbeck Library – 350 Lincoln Ave
El Gabilan Library – 1400 N. Main St
Soledad
Soledad Branch Library – 401 Gabilan Dr
Soledad City Hall – 248 Main St
